


Sparks Fly

by darthswift13



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Force Bond (Star Wars), Hate to Love, Loss of Virginity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:55:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29584779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthswift13/pseuds/darthswift13
Summary: Ben Solo and Rey Niima couldn’t be more opposite. She’s the overachieving cheerleader and he’s a social outcast at Alderaan Prep. They can’t stand each other — so what happens when a strange force starts connecting them?
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 42
Kudos: 248





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I'm back with another Social Media AU. I'll be posting the updates on [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/darthswift13/status/1362906972291538946?s=20) first, and then on here. I hope you enjoy this story, and kudos and comments are always tremendously appreciated if you do!

**—Meet Rey, the most popular girl at school, and her best friends, Kaydel and Finn.**

**—Meet Ben, who thinks of himself as a social outcast, and Rose, the closest thing he has to a best friend.**

* * *

* * *

**The next night, something VERY strange happens.**

* * *

Rey is just about to fall asleep when she hears his voice — her single least favorite voice in the entire universe saying, “What the fuck?”

She sits up abruptly, and is aghast to discover none other than _Ben Solo_ standing in the middle of her dorm room in his pajamas. 

“What the _fuck_ are you doing here, you _creep_!? Get the fuck out of my room!”

“Um, what the fuck are _you_ doing in _my_ room?” Ben demands. “How did you get all the way from Alderaan to Chandrila so fast?”

“What are you _talking_ about? You’re literally standing in the middle of my dorm.”

“No, that’s where you’re wrong, because you are literally sitting down on my bed.”

“Your bed has yellow floral sheets?”

“No, I have black sheets.”

“Then I’m not sitting on your bed.”

“You are though.”

“You’re literally standing in my dorm room and I’m about to scream so someone will come save me from you, creep.”

“Rey, I’m serious. I’m not at school. Literally call my house and ask my mom if you can speak to me. I’m at home in Chandrila. Something weird is happening. We must be dreaming or something? I don’t know. But I’m not at school.”

She eyes him suspiciously, then picks up her phone.

“What’s your home phone number?”

He tells her, and a woman answers. “Hi,” Rey starts, “this is Ben’s, uh...friend Rey. His phone died. Can I talk to him?”

The woman on the other end seems absolutely delighted. “ _Benji, a girl is calling for you!”_ she calls out. The next thing Rey knows is Ben is holding a phone that seemed to come out of nowhere.

“What. The. Fuck. We’re definitely dreaming, right? Like, this has to be a dream.”

“Or it’s...something else,” Ben says slowly.

“This defies all the laws of physics. I would know, I’m in AP Physics,” she informs him.

“Yes, I’m well aware you’re in AP everything,” Ben quips snidely. 

“You don’t have to be an ass just because you’re jealous of how smart I am, Solo.”

“I’m not jealous. I’m in AP classes too, I just don’t rub it in everyone’s faces.”

“I don’t rub it in everyone’s face.”

“You literally just did.”

Rey sighs exasperatedly. “I can’t fucking stand you.”

“Believe me, the feeling is mutual,” Ben mutters.

“So now what are we supposed to do?”  
  


“I don’t know? Wait til this stops happening? Pray that it ends soon? Because I don’t know how much longer I can stand being in the same room as you.”

“We are one hundred percent on the same page about that.”

There’s a long, awkward silence, punctuated only by the sounds of their breathing, which seems louder in the small, dark room.

“Can you stop looking at me?!” Rey snaps.

  
“I’m not looking at you, you just happen to be in the general direction of my gaze,” Ben insists dryly.

“You’re so annoying! God, can you just go away so I can go to sleep?”

“Can _you_ just go away so _I_ can sl— ”

Mercifully, he finally disappears.

_What the fuck just happened?_

  
  
  


* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your feedback on the first chapter, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! I hope you like this next update, and kudos and comments are always greatly appreciated if you do <3

* * *

* * *

Rey is in the library working on an assignment for her creative writing elective class when suddenly he’s sitting beside her.

“Oh fuck,” Ben grumbles. “Not this shit again.”

“What is going on?!” Rey whispers, looking around to make sure no one can hear. “Are you still at home?”

“Yeah, I’m sitting at my desk in my room. Where are you?”

“In the library at school.”

“This is so fucking weird.”

“You’re telling me.”

  
“So what do we do now?” Ben asks after a moment.

“Well, I’m busy doing homework, so I would _appreciate_ it if you didn’t disturb me.”

  
“I have work to do too, so that’s fine by me,” Ben mutters.

They work in silence for a few minutes, when suddenly Rey balls up a piece of paper and shoves it into her backpack, sighing exasperatedly.

“Not that I care, but uh...what’s wrong?”

“It’s this stupid creative writing class. I’m more of a math and science person, honestly. I have to write a poem, and I can’t manage to write anything halfway decent.”

“A poem? I could help with that. I mean, if it’ll get me out of balancing these chemical equations.”

Rey’s eyes light up. “Ooo, did you say balancing chemical equations?”

“Uh, yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone get excited about balancing chemical equations.”

“But it’s just so fun! And unlike this stupid poem, there’s a very clear right and wrong answer. I like when things have very clear right and wrong answers. Anyway, let’s see...” she starts to say, glancing down at his paper. 

Rey explains the chemical equations to Ben and helps him balance them, and he seems to respond well to her tutoring, because he starts getting the answers right.

“See? It’s fun!”

“I don’t know if I’d go that far, but I, uh...I appreciate the help, I guess.”

“No problem,” Rey replies. “Do you mind helping me with the poem now?”

“If I have to,” he mumbles.

“Why are you always so fucking rude?”

“Why are you always so fucking cheerful? I’ve never seen anyone get that excited about chemistry. It’s obnoxious.”

“ _You’re_ obnoxious.”

“Mmm, and yet you still want my help with the poem,” he points out.

“Yeah, only because you’re kind of good at this stuff or whatever,” she mutters, avoiding meeting his eyes. “Mr. Kenobi read one of your poems from last year's literary magazine in class the other day and it was...decent, I suppose.”

He raises his eyebrows. “Decent, you say?”

“Don’t let it go to your head, Solo. Anyway, can you help me write this stupid poem?”

“Normally I would say no, because you’re annoying, but because this weird connection thing is happening again, I guess I don’t really have any other choice.” He sighs. “What’s your poem about?”

“Spring.”

“Okay, what about spring?”

“Just that it’s pretty and nice.”

Ben sighs deeply. “Okay. Um. How do you feel about spring?”

“It makes me happy.”

“Is there any topic you can think of that you have deeper feelings for besides the springtime? Not that I imagine you’ve ever had deep feelings about anything in your life. I’m sure everything has always been springtime and daisies for you,” he remarks.

“You don’t know the first thing about me, Ben Solo,” Rey retorts harshly. 

But he’s already gone. 

* * *

* * *

**Rey does some Googling...**

* * *

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

When Ben gets back to his dorm after his weekend at home, he sets down his backpack with a sigh. He’s already dreading the coming week of school. But then he sees her — standing in the middle of his dorm in her blue and yellow Alderaan Knights cheerleading uniform, her hair pulled half-up with a yellow bow. And while he can’t stand her, he’s certainly not  _ blind,  _ nor is he immune to the effects of a pretty girl in a cheerleading uniform, her short skirt...

But his train of thought is interrupted when he realizes she’s crying. And most peculiarly, his mood seems to change. He suddenly feels sad, too — but not just sad. Afraid. Afraid of being alone. Afraid of being hurt. It’s like he’s somehow feeling whatever she must be feeling.

He might think she’s annoying, but he’s not a monster. He doesn’t like seeing her upset. It seems so...uncharacteristic for someone as perpetually cheerful as her. Something must be  _ really _ wrong if Rey Niima is crying.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, this is the last thing I need right now,” Rey says exasperatedly once she realizes he’s there.

“Why are you crying, Rey?” Ben asks softly.

“Please, you don’t have to pretend to care.”

“Look, I might find you annoying most of the time, but obviously something is really upsetting you. So you can talk to me about it. If you want.”

She sighs. “I just — I just found out I failed my English exam. And I already wasn’t doing as well as I should be in that class. I need to keep my grades up so I can get a scholarship to a good university, and this could jeopardize that and I just — if I don’t manage to get a scholarship, I might have to go back — back to — ” she heaves out another sob.

“Back to where, Rey?”

She sniffs. “Nevermind. Just suffice to say, I know you think my life is all — what did you call it? Springtime and daisies? But it’s not, Ben. It really, really isn’t.”

“You know,” Ben says after a moment, “Ms. Kanata will usually let you retake exams if you don’t like your grade. And I could help you study so you do better next time.”   
  


She sniffs again. “You’d really be willing to do that?”   
  


He nods, and then grabs a tissue box from his nightstand. “I don’t know if I can actually pass things over to you with this weird connection, but it’s worth a shot.”

Rey reaches forward — and somehow, she’s able to take the tissue box from him.

“ _ Whoa _ ,” they say in unison.

“This is so fucking weird, and definitely defies the laws of physics,” Rey remarks. “Are you  _ sure _ we’re not both just going mad?”

He chuckles. “It’s always possible, I suppose.”

She takes out a tissue and wipes her mascara-stained cheeks. “Thanks, um...thanks for listening to me, by the way.”

“It’s no problem. Let me know if Ms. Kanata will let you retake the exam — though I’m pretty sure she will — and then I’ll help you study.”

“I appreciate that — really. And I can, um— I can help you with chemistry in return, if you want.”

“That would actually be super helpful. My mom expects me to go to Yale like she did, so I really need to make sure I get an A.”

“I want to go to Yale, too, actually. Or Harvard. Or Princeton. Or basically anywhere that will give me a full-ride scholarship.”

“I’m sure you’ll definitely get into one of those schools with a scholarship, you’re a shoo-in for valedictorian and you're a varsity cheerleader, you’re exactly the type of student they're looking for.”

“It’s just so stressful, you never really know for sure, and — ”

He’s gone before she can finish the sentence.   
  


* * *

  
  
  


* * *

The next morning, Rey is about to put her makeup on when Ben appears in her dorm room with his shirt open.

She could always kind of tell that he was muscular, but seeing his chest bare like this is... _ wow.  _ I mean, not that she cares. Not that she’s looking. She averts her eyes so he can’t see she’s blushing.

“Jesus, button up your shirt,” she mutters. 

“I was literally about to when this happened, it’s not my fault,” he retorts irritably. He quickly buttons up his shirt and then pulls his tie seemingly out of thin air. He finishes tying it, and then he stares at her quizzically.

  
“ _ What _ ?” Rey demands. “Can you stop  _ glaring  _ at me like that, what’s your problem?” 

“I just — you have freckles. I never noticed before,” he says softly.

“Yeah, I hide them with my foundation. I think they’re ugly.”

Ben frowns. “They’re not ugly. Nothing about you is ugly, Rey. I think —” his voice is a low mumble when he speaks again, almost as if he didn’t mean to speak the thought aloud, “I think your freckles are cute.” 

And then he’s gone as quickly as he arrived.

When she forgoes her foundation and just uses concealer under her eyes and on a couple of zits, leaving her freckles uncovered, she tells herself it’s not because of what he said; she just wanted a lighter makeup look today since she’ll probably get sweaty at cheer practice. That’s all.

* * *

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Ben is eating lunch alone in his room when Rey appears again. If she knows the weird connection thing is happening again, she doesn’t show it. She doesn’t even look at him. He can’t see her surroundings—just her—but she’s talking to someone, and this person is making her laugh a lot. And blush a lot. And twirl her hair and bat her eyes a lot. 

He doesn’t know who she’s looking at, only that some part of him wishes she were looking at him that way.

The connection flickers away as quickly as it started, and he is alone again. 

* * *

* * *

When they meet to help each other in the library later that night, Ben notices right away that Rey didn’t cover her freckles, but he doesn’t say anything. Because she is clearly interested in someone else. But she smells like floral-sweet perfume and her skirt rides up a little when she sits down and he keeps getting distracted while he tries to count all the colors in her hazel eyes. And then there’s her _accent —_ he doesn’t know how he ever found it grating, or maybe he never really did at all; maybe he’s always been enchanted by her and too damn stubborn to admit it. 

“Ben,” Rey says, snapping him out his reverie, “are you alright? You’ve been really quiet this whole time.”

And it’s true, he’s just been nodding his head yes and asking minimal questions without making eye contact as she helps him with his homework. He assures her that he’s fine, just tired. But even as he goes over the material for the English exam with her, it’s hard to focus on Shakespeare’s sonnets when he’s composing sonnets about her in his head.

“Thanks for all your help,” Rey says once they’ve finished. “I really, really appreciate it.”

She holds his gaze for a long moment, and a tense silence lingers between them, but then he averts his eyes and starts packing up his books. “No problem. See you in class tomorrow,” he mumbles, and then he hurries out of the library.

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

_**Friday Night** _

Rey decides to turn in for the night early because she’s sad about not being at the dance. Just as she’s about to fall asleep she hears his voice.

___ _

“Umm...”

___ _

She turns around to discover him sitting next to her in her bed. She immediately sits up and covers herself with her blanket; she’s wearing pajamas, but somehow having him in her bed makes her feel so _exposed._

___ _

“I was just about to fall asleep,” he mutters.

___ _

She frowns. “Oh no, I know you’ve been having trouble sleeping and this must’ve woken you up. I’m sorry. That must be very frustrating.” 

___ _

“It’s fine,” he mutters. “Why aren’t you at the dance, by the way? I would think you of all people would be there.”

___ _

“The person I wanted to go with didn’t ask me,” she replies sadly.

___ _

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

___ _

“It’s fine. I think I was stupid for thinking he might like me, anyway.”

___ _

“Don’t feel stupid, Rey. Any guy would be very lucky to date you. You’re pretty and smart and popular. If he doesn’t like you then he’s dumb.”

___ _

Rey blushes. “You think I’m pretty?”

___ _

“I don’t think you’re pretty, I know you’re pretty. It’s just a fact. Everyone knows you’re very pretty, Rey.”

___ _

“Thank you,” she says softly.

___ _

There’s a long, awkward silence. “Are you excited for Christmas?” Rey asks after a while.

___ _

“Not particularly. My dad hasn’t been home in...a while, and we’re starting to think he might not come back. It’s been really hard on my mom, and Christmas isn’t going to seem the same without him. What about you?”

___ _

“Oh, well, I stay here at school over the holidays, so I’ll just use that time to finish up my college applications and practice my cheer routines and catch up on reading, maybe get a jumpstart on some extra credit in physics and calculus.”

___ _

Ben frowns. “You’re not spending Christmas with your family?”

___ _

“Why aren’t you at the dance?” 

___ _

“Oh, sorry, I forgot you don’t like to talk about your parents. I’m not at the dance because dances aren’t my thing. And besides, the girl I would’ve asked likes someone else.”

___ _

“Oh, I’m sorry, Ben.”

___ _

He shrugs. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

___ _

“What do you mean?”

___ _

“I’m used to girls not liking me.”

___ _

“I’m sure plenty of girls like you and you just don’t know. You’re very cute and you’re a talented writer. I bet you have many fans of your poetry.”

___ _

“I doubt that, but thank you, Rey.”

___ _

There’s another long silence. “So now what are we supposed to do?” Rey asks.

___ _

“I don’t know.”

___ _

“Hmmm. Do you want to play truth or dare?” Rey suggests. 

___ _

“I mean, sure, it’s not like we have anything better to do. So, uh...truth or dare?”

___ _

“Truth.”

___ _

“What’s your favorite color?”

___ _

Rey laughs. “Ben, the point of truth or dare is to get people to reveal juicy secrets, not their favorite color. But it’s yellow. Truth or dare?”

___ _

“Hmm. Dare.”

___ _

“I dare you to show me the most embarrassing photo on your phone.”

___ _

“Oh god,” Ben mumbles. He reaches over and suddenly his phone appears, and moments later he shows her a picture of a rather unfortunate, too-short, uneven haircut. “I tried trimming my own hair over the summer and well...yeah. It didn’t end well. Mostly because I cut it short enough that you could see my ears.”

___ _

“I think your ears are cute, it’s just the unevenness of the haircut that’s bad.”

___ _

“The only person who sincerely finds my ears cute is probably my mother.”

___ _

Rey frowns. “That’s not true because I sincerely think they’re cute.”

___ _

“You’re a good liar. Anyway, truth or dare.”

___ _

“I’m not lying, really! And truth.”

___ _

“Who did you want to ask you to the dance?”

___ _

Time seems to freeze for a moment, and she forgets how to breathe. The point of truth or dare is you’re supposed to be honest, but what if being honest will inevitably break your heart because the person you like just admitted they liked someone else? What do you do then? 

___ _

She takes a deep breath, and without meeting his gaze, she says in a very small voice, “You.”

___ _

He looks absolutely baffled. “You — _you_ wanted to go to the dance with _me_?”

___ _

“Yeah, I know it’s dumb—”

___ _

“No, God, no, it’s not dumb, Rey, that’s not — I—” he takes a deep breath. “I wanted to go to the dance with you, too.”

___ _

“But I thought — you said — you said the girl you like likes someone else —”

___ _

“Well, up until this exact moment I thought you did. I saw you flirting with someone earlier in the week when our connection happened, but I don’t think you realized it was happening and I saw everything.”

___ _

“Ohhh, I see. Well, he asked me to the dance, and I told him maybe because I wanted to see if you would ask me, and then I turned him down in the end because I knew I would be thinking about you the whole time and it wouldn’t be fair.”

___ _

A smile flickers on Ben’s lips. “Really?”

___ _

Rey nods. “Yes, really. It’s my turn to ask though, so: truth or dare.”

___ _

“Dare.”

___ _

Rey smirks. “I dare you to kiss me.”

___ _

He turns an adorable shade of pink at that, and Rey giggles. “I mean, if you want to.”

___ _

“Oh, believe me, I very much want to, I just—I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

___ _

“Then let me show you what to do,” she murmurs as she leans in closer to him. She delicately reaches out to touch his cheek, caressing it with her thumb, and she can feel him shiver. And then she leans forward and gently presses her lips to his. 

___ _

Rey has kissed plenty of guys before, but it’s never been like _this—_ like some sort of holy revelation, like this is the person she was always meant to be kissing, like everyone else had been a waste of time, like something between them is literally _singing_ as electricity blossoms where her lips are pressed against his.

___ _

She wants more, needs more, but his lips remain firmly shut.

___ _

“Ben,” she whispers gently against his lips, “open your mouth, _please_.” 

___ _

He immediately parts his lips for her, and she lets her tongue brush against his and the bond between them crescendos into a symphony that feels like sunlight and stardust and tastes like possibility and everything she never knew she needed.

___ _

Or more like everything _they_ never knew _they_ needed, because suddenly it feels like all his thoughts and feelings are in perfect sync with hers, like she can see and feel it all at once, and she blushes at some of the things he’s thinking about her. She kisses him back hungrily, and he’s a little bit of a sloppy kisser because he doesn’t really know what he’s doing and their teeth clack a few times, but she can tell he’s trying to follow along with everything she shows him, can tell he’s eager to please her in any way he can. She knows he’ll get better with practice, and she’s very eager to practice with him as much as possible. 

___ _

Eventually they need to breathe, and they break the kiss to gasp for air.

___ _

“Whoa,” Ben breathes out.

___ _

“Yeah, that was— wow.”

___ _

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how I felt sooner, Rey, I was just convinced you liked some other guy.”

___ _

“I like _you_ , Ben,” she assures him, reaching forward to stroke his cheek again. “Really,” she adds softly. “I don’t offer to share my sleepytime tea with just anyone.”

___ _

He chuckles and she smiles as she leans in to kiss him again. But before she can, he disappears. 

___ _

* * *

* * *

* * *

When Rey meets Ben in the library, he is surprised to see she is wearing her uniform skirt even though it’s a Saturday. Not that he’s complaining about that. At all.

He sits down beside him and smiles that radiant, heart-stopping smile of hers. He wonders how he ever found her annoying, when he finds everything about her utterly enchanting now. 

“Hi,” she says softly. She looks over both shoulders to make sure no one is looking, and then she leans in and gently presses a kiss to his lips.

“Hi,” he echoes, and he briefly wonders why the fuck they’re doing this when they could easily find some corner to make out in instead. But getting into a good college is extremely important to Rey, and she already put these essays off until the last possible minute, so he’s determined to help her. Even if it’s hard to keep his thoughts from straying...elsewhere.

“So,” he starts to say as she pulls her laptop along with a notebook and pencil out of her backpack, “do you know what you want to write your essay about?”

She nods. “Yeah, I’m gonna talk about cheerleading and how it helped me become more responsible, a better student, better at time management, that sort of thing.”  
  


They chat more about what the essay should include, when suddenly Ben feels Rey brush her leg against his under the table. He draws in a sharp breath and briefly loses his train of thought. 

“Anyway, um— as I was saying, you want to write an opening that draws in the reader’s attention,” he continues, but then she licks her lips and bats her eyes as she leans forward with her hand resting on her chin, and he loses his train of thought again. 

“Mm-hmmm,” she says with a nod, “so how do I do that? I’m rubbish at creative ideas.”

She has remarkably pretty eyes. Green and gold and glimmering. He could write a whole poem about her eyes alone. 

“Ben?”

“Sorry, er— right, so, we want to create an interesting introduction, and, um...um...”

Rey tilts her head to the side. “Are you feeling okay?”

In fact, he’s feeling quite lightheaded, but he doesn’t say that. Instead, he clears his throat and shakes his head. “I’m fine.”

Rey frowns. “Are you sure? Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

“I’m fine, really.”

“Because I can think of some _far_ more interesting things we could do other than writing college admissions essays.”

“Rey, we need to focus on this. I know getting a scholarship to a good school is really important to you, and your admissions essay is crucial, and you’ve already put it off til the last minute.”

“I know that, but it’s the weekend, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss,” she pleads. She moves in closer to him. “Please kiss me again, Ben,” she whispers. 

He looks around. “In the middle of the library?”

“Well maybe not right here, but there’s a corner all the way in the back we can go to, that I’ve, uh, utilized for, um, similar purposes before. No one ever goes to that section, trust me.”

“Okay, but we’ve got to work on these essays either later today or tomorrow.”

“We will, don’t worry.” She hurriedly packs up her laptop and notebook and slings her backpack over her shoulder.

“So where exactly is this clandestine meeting place?”

She giggles and takes his hand. “Follow me.”

His brain sort of short circuits when she takes his hand and the only thought that runs through his brain for a few moments is _pretty girl is holding my hand, pretty girl is holding my hand, pretty girl is holding my hand._ But then he feels that same connection he’d felt the night before, like something between them is _singing,_ and there’s a sensation like an electric charge where their hands are clasped.

They make their way to a back corner of the library far away from anyone else. Rey grins, slides her backpack off her shoulder and presses herself up on her tiptoes so she can grab onto the lapels of his shirt and pull his lips down to meet hers.

He lets his tongue slide through his parted lips and she sighs contentedly. 

  
“This is a _much_ better use of our time, don’t you think?” Rey says against his lips. 

“I couldn’t agree more,” he murmurs as he pulls her in closer by her waist. She giggles into the kiss. It’s the sweetest sound, and he drinks it up. 

He still feels like he’s sort of a clumsy kisser, but he does his best to mirror what Rey shows him. But if his kissing is subpar, Rey doesn’t seem to mind, because she’s kissing him fervently, licking into his mouth and knotting her hands in his hair.

The symphony that crescendoed around them the night before sings all around them, and Rey feels like springtime and smells sweet like flowers in May and her kiss is like warm sunshine enveloping him in her light.

“ _Ben_ ,” she groans against his lips, and the hoarse, desperate way she says his name _does_ something to him. It makes him dizzy and lightheaded and, well...hard.

He feels her guide his hand up until it’s resting on top of her breast over her sweater, and he panics for a second, unsure what to do; he’s never touched someone there before. 

She giggles. “It’s okay, Ben, you can touch me. If you want to.”

That’s all the encouragement he needs to start kneading her breast in his hand and _God_ , it’s perfect, her pretty little tits are the most perfect thing his hand has ever felt. A tiny moan escapes from the back of her throat and something primal in him takes over and he kisses her back even more deeply, palming at her breast as he presses her up against the bookcase and starts to trail kisses down her neck.

“ _Ben_ ,” she moans softly, and his name sounds so sweet on her lips. She throws her head back so he has easier access to the column of her throat, which he languishes with wet, open-mouthed kisses as he continues to knead her breast in his hands. It’s almost too much, how perfect this is, kissing Rey like this, _touching_ Rey like this, it’s more than anything he had ever dared to hope for and now, somehow, it’s _happening_. It feels utterly surreal.

Rey is feeling similarly, he realizes — he doesn’t know how he knows what she’s feeling, only that he _does —_ and it baffles him that she had longed for him the way he longed for her, that she’s in as much disbelief that this is really happening as he is. All her thoughts and feelings seem to swirl around him at once, bliss and contentment chief among them, but there are other feelings there too, feelings of _wanting_ , thoughts that make his face flush hot— 

And that’s when he hears Ms. Phasma, the school librarian, clearing her throat behind them.

_Fuck._

“Mr. Solo. Miss Niima. I hope I’m not interrupting something,” she remarks snidely, “but I need to get a book for a student and you’re in the way.”

They both turn bright red and immediately break apart. Rey scurries to smooth out her sweater and pick up her backpack, and then they both scramble out of the library in different directions, desperate to get out of there as quickly as possible.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger warning** for implied/referenced past abuse in this chapter.

* * *

**The Next Day**

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

Rey jolts awake from her nightmare gasping for breath as she sobs, and moments later Ben appears beside her. She doesn’t want him to see her like this, so she tries in vain to wipe her tears away. 

“Sweetheart,” Ben says softly, “why are you crying?”

“Nothing,” she sniffs, “it’s nothing, really.”

“If something made you cry it’s not nothing. What’s wrong, Rey? You can tell me anything.”

“I — I had a nightmare,” she finally chokes out.

“Oh, Rey, I’m so sorry. I get those a lot, too. Come here,” he says softly, pulling her into his arms. “It’s okay. You’re safe. Whatever happened in the nightmare isn’t real.”

She immediately feels herself growing calmer as soon as he’s in his arms. She sniffs again. “It is real though it’s—it’s my uncle, I had a dream about him. That’s who I’m so scared of going back to if I don’t get into a good school. I came here to get away from him.”

“He’s far away and can’t hurt you anymore, Rey. You’re safe here at school. You’re safe with me. No one can hurt you as long as I’m here. I promise. I won’t ever let anything happen to you. And I’ll help you finish the rest of your essays, and I know you’ll get a scholarship somewhere because you’re such a great student and you’ve worked so hard to earn one. It’ll be okay, Rey. You’ll be okay. You’re safe now.”

She lets herself cry more because she needs to, and Ben just rubs her back and kisses the top of her head and tells her it’s okay, that she’s safe, that he’s here.

And she knows in her bones that she’s safe with him, that he cares about her, and that he means it when he says he won’t ever let anything bad happen to her. There’s something that feels so _right_ about being in his arms, like she _belongs_ there, like she’s meant to be close to him, to be touched and held and cherished by him. The connection between them sings whenever she’s close to him, as if celebrating their closeness, as if the universe has willed them to be together. 

She wants more than anything to fall asleep in his arms, but he disappears before she falls asleep.

* * *

* * *

* * *

Rey is getting frustrated with a lab report for physics when Rey hears Ben’s voice behind her.

“Rey?”

She whirls around and finds him sitting on the edge of her bed. She grins when she sees him. “Ben!” she exclaims, before closing her laptop and making her way over to where Ben is sitting. She settles herself in his lap and loops her arms around his neck, and then wastes no time pressing her lips to his. He kisses back hungrily, like he’d missed this just as much as she did. He licks into her mouth and she lets her tongue push against his. 

“How was your day?” she murmurs after a moment.

“Not great. The end of the marking period is kicking my ass. I have so many fucking exams and projects and papers, it’s exhausting.”

“Same. I feel like I’m dying. Which is why I’m glad you’re here, because I desperately needed a break.”

“Same,” he mumbles, before capturing her lips in another kiss as he runs his hands up and down her back. She bites down on his lower lip and he moans softly, and she’s eager to learn all the things she can do to make him make such delicious sounds.

She lets her hands roam down to his chest, relishing in how firm and strong it feels under her fingertips. Every touch feels like electricity, and with each push of the kiss their connection seems to sing more loudly, blossoming and buzzing all around them. She moans into his mouth and takes his face in her hands to deepen the kiss even more.

“Rey,” he murmurs against her lips as he continues to drink her in like he’s starved for her, like her lips and her tongue are his salvation. It’s _everything,_ kissing him like this, but somehow she still needs more. Because there’s an ever-growing ache between her legs that she desperately needs to ease. 

She swings her leg over so she’s straddling him and he swallows hard and draws in a sharp breath.

“Sorry, is this okay?” she asks.

He nods. “Yes, of course, I just — you took me by surprise, sweetheart.”

“Sorry about that,” she says softly as she slots her mouth against his again and slowly starts rocking her hips. She can feel his erection rubbing up against her clit and _fuck,_ it feels amazing.

“ _Ben_ ,” she moans. 

“Does that feel good?” he murmurs.

She nods furiously.

She closes her eyes and grinds down onto him, and she feels his lips on her neck. She giggles. “Don’t give me a hickey again, Benjamin.”

“I’ll be careful this time, I promise,” he mumbles against her skin.

His hands run up and down her torso as they continue to rub against each other. She slowly starts to unbutton her blouse and he lifts his head and watches, awestruck with his lips parted.

“Touch me, Ben,” she whispers, pulling his hands up to cup her breasts over her bra. He kneads her breasts in his hands, those stupidly big hands of his, and she moans. “Yes, _yes_ , Ben, just like that _._ ”

She continues to rock her hips, holding his gaze as she presses up against where his cock strains against his trousers. “Rey,” he says breathlessly, “this is — fuck. Is this really happening?”

“It is,” she assures him. 

She steadies herself with her hands on his shoulders so she can press against him even faster, her tits bouncing in his hands, her plaid skirt spread out across his lap.

“Ben,” she whimpers. “ _Fuck_ , Ben, I’m so close.”

“Me, too,” he pants out.

She rocks her hips impossibly fast, grinding against him as she moans and gasps for air and sweat beads on her forehead, and then all at once her orgasm crashes over her and the bond between them seems to swell along with it, a soaring crescendo singing all around them. And as Ben comes moments later it’s like she’s hitting her peak all over again, like she can feel exactly what he’s feeling, like they’re perfectly in sync. 

He falls back against the bed and pulls her with him, running his hand through her hair and kissing the top of her head. “Wow,” he says breathlessly.

“I know,” Rey murmurs as she absentmindedly traces patterns on his chest with her fingertips. He wraps his arms and her tightly and she buries her face against him. But just when she gets comfortable, he fades away.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Content warning** for references to abandonment in this update.

* * *

* * *

**The last day of school before winter break**

* * *

* * *

On Christmas Eve, Rey sits on the edge of her bed and watches as the snow falls outside her dorm window. She feels tears welling in her eyes because she’s all alone on Christmas again, and really she has no one but herself to blame. Kaydel and Finn always invite her to spend Christmas with their families, but she’s convinced herself she would be a burden, so she always declines. Christmas makes her sad, anyway, and she wouldn’t want to bring everyone else down with her. And seeing Kaydel and Finn with their happy families would just remind her of the fact that her parents didn’t want her.

She sniffs, and then she hears his voice. She turns around and finds him sitting beside her on her bed. 

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Ben asks softly. But she can tell he’s been crying, too. She reaches forward and wipes the tear that’s falling down his cheek with her thumb. He runs his hand up and down her arm, and then she wraps her arms around him, burying her face against his chest. They hold each other tightly as tears fall from their eyes. She feels Ben run his hand up and down her back as he kisses the top of her head.

“Christmas fucking sucks,” Rey says after a while, sitting up and wiping her tears. “I always feel so alone.”

“You’re not alone now, Rey,” Ben says softly, taking her hand and squeezing it. She squeezes back.

“Neither are you,” she murmurs. 

“I think some part of me hoped my dad would come back for Christmas,” Ben tells her. “But I was wrong.”

“I’m so sorry, Ben.”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I just feel guilty that you’re there at school all alone, honestly. I should’ve invited you to come stay with me and my mom. I just didn’t want to freak you out because it’s so soon...but I don’t want you to be alone, Rey.”

“That probably would’ve overwhelmed me, to be honest,” Rey admits. “It’s very sweet of you to be so concerned about me, though. But I’m fine, really. My friends invited me to stay with them, but I don’t want to be a burden on anyone.”

Ben frowns. “You could never be a burden, Rey.”

She feels another sob building, but she tries to suppress it.

But Ben must be able to tell she’s trying not to cry again. “Rey?” he says softly, brows pushing together in concern.  
  


“I just — I just — I’ve been made to feel like a burden my whole life. My parents didn’t want me, and then my uncle made me feel like this huge burden, just this inconvenience he was forced to deal with.”

“You were just a kid and needed to be taken care of. You were never a burden. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Her chin quivers, and she buries her face against his chest again. He wraps his arms around her, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world, to be held by him like this. Like she’s finally home after eighteen years of feeling like she didn’t quite belong anywhere. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong either, you know,” Rey says softly, sniffing as she sits up to touch his face. “It’s not your fault your dad left. I know you were thinking that. Sometimes I feel like I know what you’re thinking and feeling. I don’t know how to explain it...I just...do.”

“No, I understand. I can tell what you’re thinking and feeling sometimes, too. I think it’s part of this connection thing we have.” 

There’s a long silence which is interrupted when Rey yawns. “I’m so tired. Will you hold me until I fall asleep? Or at least as long as the connection lasts?”  
  


“Of course, sweetheart,” he murmurs. 

They lie down and Rey snuggles up against Ben’s chest as he wraps his arms around her tightly.

“Merry Christmas, Ben,” Rey says softly.

He kisses the top of her head. “Merry Christmas, Rey.”

* * *

**Christmas Day**

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

**The Next Day**

Ever since that night in her dorm when they made each other come, Rey hasn’t been able to stop thinking about how badly she wants him to make her come again. She had felt his cock through his pants and she longed to know how it would feel inside of her. She’s done other sexual things before, but no one’s ever been inside of her before, and she knows she wants Ben to be the first person she experienced that with. 

She thinks about it all the time, so much so that it’s hard to focus. Whenever they kissed there was always this growing ache between her thighs, but she was trying to take things slowly, especially because she knows he’s inexperienced and doesn’t want to rush him. And also because she always seemed to rush to that part with guys, avoiding emotional intimacy at all costs, but with Ben, things are different. She really cares about him and wants to get to know him.

Even so, her mind is flooded with thoughts about his cock and his hands and his tongue. She thinks about the delicious way he explores her mouth with his tongue, and she imagines how it would feel to have his tongue explore _other_ parts of her. No one’s ever done that for her before, but she hopes Ben would want to.

It’s late now and she’s ready for bed, and she’s already wet from all the things she’s been thinking about Ben all day — and for the past few weeks. She’s been needing to come so badly, but because of this weird connection they have that seems to like to connect them at night, she’s been scared to touch herself.

But she can’t ignore what her body is pleading for any longer, so she takes a deep breath and pushes down her pajama pants and underwear. She moans softly as she runs her finger through her wet folds, drawing the wetness up around her clit, which she starts to rub. She remembers how good it felt to grind her clit against his cock the other night, and she rolls her hips, pressing down harder on that bundle of nerves.

She takes her other hand and lets her finger dip inside of her cunt. “ _Ben_ ,” she murmurs. 

“Rey?”

She sits up abruptly, startled as she pulls her covers over herself and her cheeks flush hot.

“I — fuck, I’m so sorry, I didn’t meant to — shit — I’m so sorry — ” Ben stammers. 

“It’s okay,” she says finally. “It’s not your fault. It’s not like you can control this. I, um— ” she draws in a shaky breath, trying to find the courage to say what she needs, “I need to come, Ben. And um...I was thinking about you. You’re all I can think about anymore. Do you want to feel what it does to me when I think about you?”

“What do you mean?”

She gingerly takes his hand and guides it under the blanket and between her legs. He gasps.

“Oh my God, _Rey._ ”

“You make me _so wet,_ Ben,” she croons. “You can touch me, Ben, it’s okay. I really need to come. Do you — do you want to make me come?”

He nods. “Yes,” he breathes out. “More than anything.” He lets his finger glide back and forth between her labia, swirling around her entrance. He continues this motion as he leans over to kiss her deeply, and then whispers, “I don’t really know what I’m doing, sweetheart. I need you to tell me what you want me to do.”

“I need you to put your finger inside of me, Ben,” she whispers back.

He gulps and nods, and then slowly pushes his finger into her dripping wet cunt. “Can I tell you something, sweetheart?”

“Mmmmm?” she murmurs, eyes fluttering shut.

“I think about you when I touch myself, too.”

“Fuck,” she mumbles under her breath, moaning as he presses his finger into her again. “Will you show me, Ben? Will you show me how you touch yourself?”

  
“I — ”

“Only if you’re comfortable with that, of course.”

He’s breathing heavily now, and he takes his finger out of her and slowly pulls down his pajama pants and boxers as she watches him with parted lips and wide eyes.

His cock springs free, and _shit,_ it’s even bigger than she had guessed. 

“Can I watch you?” she whispers.

“I wanna watch you, too,” he murmurs. 

She nods and holds his gaze as she starts rubbing on her clit again while she bites down on her lower lip. He draws in a shaky breath as he hesitantly wraps his hand around his shaft.

“Rey,” he breathes out as he starts to stroke his cock. She moans at the sight of him touching himself for her. 

“Tell me what you think about when you touch yourself.”

“You, always you,” he murmurs.

  
“Yes, but what about me?”

“I think about — I think about how it would feel to be inside of you.”

Rey moans at that and rubs her clit faster and harder. “Fuck.” She takes her other hand and slowly slides her finger inside. “I think about having you inside of me, too. I put my fingers inside of myself and think about that until I make myself come. But I always wish it was you making me come instead. I loved that night in my dorm when we made each other come. You made me feel so good, Ben.”

“Mmmm. I think about that too. All the fucking time,” he tells her as he strokes himself at a faster pace. Rey studies the way he touches himself, taking note of the pace and rhythm he likes, so she might be able to touch him in the same way sometime. “You want to know what else I think about?”

“Hmmm?”

“I think about how good you must taste.”

Rey gasps. “ _Ben_ ,” she moans. “Do you — do you want to taste me right now?”

He nods furiously as he continues to stroke himself. She takes her finger out of her cunt and brings it to his lips. His eyes roll back into his head as he closes his lips around her finger and sucks, licking up every last drop of her. 

“Mmmmmm, you taste so good, sweetheart, so sweet,” he murmurs when she pulls her finger out of his mouth. “Rey, can I — I want — ” 

But then he disappears, and Rey curses whatever force it is that’s connecting them for taking him away from her now of all times. 

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning Ben turns on the water to the shower and lets it run for a little bit so it gets nice and hot, and then he steps inside. He turns around to get his body wash off the shelf in the shower — and that’s when he sees her. She must be in the shower, too, because she’s naked and holding a loofah. Her eyes are closed as she washes herself, but they quickly flutter open and she gasps. They both turn bright red and turn around.

“Sorry!” they say in unison. There’s an awkward silence, punctuated only by the sound of the shower running and their mingled labored breaths. 

“You can look at me, Ben,” Rey manages to say after a few long moments. “I want you to see me. Can I see you, too?”

“Turn around,” he murmurs. He turns just as she does, and God, he’s never seen anything more beautiful than her lithe, naked frame, dusted with freckles here and there, and her perfect little tits. He wants to take each of them in his mouth and suck on them. He wants to kiss every inch of her skin. She’s looking at him with an awe-struck expression, her lips parted slightly as her eyes scan across his body, like she’s just as transfixed by him as he is by her. “Rey,” he rasps with urgency in his voice, “I made you a promise, remember?”

  
“I remember,” she says breathlessly.

  
He turns off the water — he doesn’t know how he manages to turn off the water in the shower that she’s in, too, but he does — and then he sinks to his knees in front of her. He kisses the inside of both of her thighs as she props her foot up on the edge of the tub and grips at the soap dish for purchase. He runs his finger gently back and forth between her labia and she shudders. 

“I’m worried I won’t be any good at this because I don’t know what I’m doing,” he mumbles.

She reaches down and cups his face in her hand. “Everything you do to me feels good because it’s  _ you,  _ Ben,” she assures him, her tone warm and gentle.

He nods, still nervous, but her words give him enough encouragement to take a deep breath and dip his head between her legs. He hesitantly darts his tongue out to lick between her folds. Rey cries out and immediately covers her mouth with her hand. 

“ _ God _ , that feels so good, Ben,” she whimpers, letting her hands tangle into his hair. 

  
He loves looking up at her and seeing that she’s come completely undone, just from his mouth on her cunt. And fuck, she tastes incredible, too, a tangy sweetness that he can’t get enough of. He buries his face in her, humming contentedly. He loves doing this for her, loves the way she throws her head back against the wall and tugs at his hair slightly, rocking her hips against his face, imploring him for more, and he is all too happy to oblige. He flits his tongue inside of her and she covers her mouth again to suppress a moan, biting down on her hand. 

It  _ does something  _ to him, knowing he’s making her feel so good that it elicits such sounds from her, her pleasure so intense that she has to cover her mouth so no one at school will hear her. He lets his tongue flicker in and out of her cunt, groaning against it, pressing his nose against her clit. 

“ _ Ben _ ,” she half-whimpers, half-sighs. “Ben, you’re so good at that,  _ fuck _ .” He licks and sucks at her faster and more intently in turn, gripping onto her hips, her praise spurring him on.

He feels her legs start to tremble as she makes the sweetest little sounds, trying so hard to be quiet, but he can tell it’s hard for her. 

His eyes flit up, and he sees her covering her mouth tightly, eyes squeezed shut, and he hears her groan his name against her mouth. She gasps for breath, whimpering as she tugs his hair to get him to stop and he can actually  _ feel  _ the waves of pleasure that are wracking over her.

“Did you just...?”

She nods furiously.

A surge of pleasure and satisfaction washes over him like nothing he’s ever felt. 

“I made you come, sweetheart?” he asks, disbelief evident in his voice.   
  


“Yes, baby, you did so good,” she croons, running her hands through his hair. 

He stands up and turns the water back on before kissing her deeply and tenderly, running his hands up and down along her torso and then her back with trembling hands, unsure how this is even a real thing that’s happening to him, standing here  _ naked _ in the  _ shower _ with the girl he’s falling in love with, the most beautiful, sexy, amazing girl in the world, and she’s kissing him fiercely, pressing herself up on her tiptoes and taking his face in her hands, making him groan into her mouth. 

He still longs to kiss every inch of her skin, to inhale the floral-sweet scent of her shower gel, still wants to play with her tits and take them in his mouth. He wants  _ everything _ with her, wants to explore every inch of her body and find all the ways he can make her moan and sigh and come.    
  


His erection is brushing against her belly as he kisses her, and he tries to pull back so it’s not touching her. “Fuck, I’m sorry — ”

But she takes him by surprise and wraps her hand around his shaft instead, and now it’s his turn to suppress a moan. “Rey,” he breathes out.

She strokes his cock a few times, and then shuts off the water again before sinking to her knees.

“Sweetheart, it’s okay, you don’t have to — ” 

“I  _ want  _ to,” she says fiercely. 

She wraps her fist around the base of his shaft and then closes her lips around the head of his cock and  _ sucks. _

It’s like nothing he’s ever felt. His knees nearly buckle from the intensity of the sensation. He moans deeply, covering his mouth to try and muffle the sound. “Oh my God,  _ Rey _ , holy fucking shit —”

She hums contentedly around his cock, sucking fervently, and the pleasure is  _ mind-numbing.  _ He knew it would feel amazing to have his cock in her mouth, he’d fantasized about it before while he touched himself, but nothing could’ve prepared him for  _ this. _

“Rey, sweetheart, that’s — holy shit —  _ oh _ my  _ God _ —  _ fuck _ — please don’t stop — ”

She looks up at him with a self-satisfied glint in her eye, and he can feel how much she loves to give him pleasure, that same way it had filled him with so much satisfaction and delight to go down on her. 

He’s a babbling mess above her as his hands knot into her hair. He has to be quiet but it’s  _ so fucking hard  _ when the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen is on her knees sucking him off in his shower. It’s beyond his wildest dreams.

She sucks at him intently, hollowing out her cheeks to take him deeper into her mouth, and it’s hard for him to even process that this is a real thing that’s happening. She sucks at him harder, if that’s even possible, and he feels  _ so close  _ now — 

“Rey, I’m gonna — ”

His orgasm hits him dizzying instant; chills rack over his body, and the pleasure is so blinding that he blacks out for a moment. Rey, meanwhile, dutifully sucks up every last drop of his cum like the perfect dream that she is. 

She slowly pulls him out of her mouth and licks her lips. “Was that good?” she asks earnestly. 

“That was — fuck, Rey — ‘good’ is a massive understatement.”

  
Rey grins, her smile as heart-stoppingly radiant as ever, taking his breath away. She stands up and turns the water back on. He kisses her slowly, savoring her, savoring this moment, drinking her in. She eventually breaks the kiss and lets her head rest against his chest as the hot water pours over them and he holds her tightly. 

A thought occurs to him then, a thought that he hopes isn’t loud enough for Rey to hear, so he doesn’t even let himself fully think it. 

But he feels it.

  
He wonders if she can feel it, too.

His arms are empty moments later. 

* * *

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The graphic for Ben's poem was made by the amazing [Lena!](http://twitter.com/bensoloswhore)

Ben and Rey get their dinners from the dining hall — they choose sandwiches so they don’t have to bring their lunch trays outside — and make their way to a grassy hill overlooking the lake. It’s been warm and dry for a few days so the snow has melted and the mud has dried up. When they find the place they want to sit, Rey pulls a blanket out of her book bag.

“Good thinking,” Ben tells her as she smooths out the blanket. She sits down and taps the spot next to her with a smile and he sits down beside her.

“Wait,” Rey says before he takes a bite of his sandwich. 

He frowns. “What is it?”

“I promised you something, remember?” she murmurs as she leans in and gently kisses his lips. She smiles. “Happy New Year, Ben.”

“Happy New Year, sweetheart,” he echoes as he leans in to kiss her again, taking her face in his hand and kissing her more deeply this time, letting his tongue push against hers. 

She sighs contentedly when she slowly pulls away from the kiss. She feels a flood of warmth in her chest and butterflies in her stomach, and a vague sensation of being dizzy. No one’s ever knocked her off her feet quite the way Ben Solo has. There’s a warm pink glow in the sky that reflects off the lake, and he’s looking at her with an awe-struck expression, like she’s the only person who has ever existed. The intensity of his gaze makes her blush.

“I, um,” he starts to say as he pulls an envelope out of his back pocket, “I have something for you. Kind of a belated Christmas gift.” He nervously scratches the back of his neck with his free hand. 

A smile tugs at her lips. “Oh, Ben, you didn’t have to get me anything. You’re so sweet,” she says softly as she takes the envelope from him. She slowly opens the envelope, and he holds his breath.

She covers her mouth with her hand as tears well in her eyes. No one’s ever done anything like this for her before. No one’s ever made her feel so cherished and adored like this. 

“Ben...” she murmurs.

“Do you like it? I’m sorry, is it weird? God, I’m sorry, it was too much wasn’t it— ”

She stops his foolish yammering with a kiss. She gingerly sets the poem beside her on the blanket and then takes his face in her hands so she can give him the kind of kiss that  _ writing a poem about her  _ warrants. She swings her leg over his lap and then leans forward until they’re falling back onto the blanket as she giggles into the kiss.

When they finally break the kiss to catch their breath, he gently tucks her hair behind her ear and takes her face in his hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

“You liked it, then?” he asks softly.

“Ben, I  _ loved  _ it. No one’s ever done anything like that for me before. I feel honored to have been the subject of one of your poems.”

He smiles a wide, toothy grin that stops her heart. “It means the world to me that you liked it.”

“Of  _ course _ I liked it, Benjamin,” she assures him. “I  _ loved  _ it.”

Just then, a breeze comes in off the lake, and Rey shivers.

Ben frowns, rubbing her back. “Here, can you sit up for a second?”

She does as he asks, and then he quickly unzips his gray hoodie, shrugs it off and wraps it around her shoulders as he pulls her close, putting his arm around her. 

“Is that better?”

She nods. “Much better,” she murmurs, burrowing her face against his chest and taking a moment just to breathe him in. 

After a little while she sits up and picks up her sandwich, but immediately cuddles close to Ben again, resting her head on his shoulder. He puts his arm around her again as he picks up his sandwich with his free hand. They sit there like that for a while, silently enjoying each other’s company as they watch the sun drift lower in the pink and gold sky over the lake. 

“This view is  _ gorgeous _ , isn’t it?” Rey remarks.

“Yeah, it is,” he says softly, but his eyes are fixed on her alone. 

Once they’ve finished their sandwiches, Rey wraps her arms around Ben and cuddles up closer to him. He wraps both of his arms around her and pulls her close, kissing the top of her head. 

She shivers again, and Ben murmurs, “We should head inside, it’s going to be dark soon.”

Rey sighs deeply. “I guess you’re right. I wish you could come back to my dorm with me.”

“I know, me too. But maybe we could go watch  _ Friends _ in the library like we talked about?”

“Ugh, I wish I could, but I need to finish up this physics project that’s due tomorrow. Teachers who assign projects over breaks are the worst. Like it’s supposed to be a break, you know?” She sighs and then sits up and kisses him. “But maybe we’ll get lucky and the connection will happen again tonight,” she adds in a whisper.

“I certainly hope so. I want to taste you again,” he murmurs and his words make her shiver.

_ “Ben,”  _ she chides playfully. 

He kisses her neck and she throws her head back, giggling. He lifts his head after a moment and then gently runs a hand through her hair. “You’re so beautiful, Rey.”

She blushes. “You’re so sweet,” she murmurs, leaning in to kiss him. “We should probably get going, though.” He nods, and then he helps her shake out and fold up the blanket, which she stuffs back into her bookbag.

They walk back to school hand-in-hand.

* * *

  
  
  


  
  
  


* * *

<  


* * *

**Friday Night**  
  


* * *

  


* * *

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

* * *

Rey is feeling much better by the time the evening rolls around; the combination of the ginger ale, crackers, Advil, and plenty of rest seemed to help get her back to feeling like herself. She feels gross; she had come straight home from the party and faces-planted onto her bed with her makeup and clothes still on, so she decides to take a shower. 

Once she’s dried her hair, she comes back to her room and sits on the edge of her bed in her bathrobe. And that’s when she feels his hand rest on her shoulder.

“Ben!” she exclaims, immediately turning around and practically tackling him with a kiss that makes him fall back against the bed. 

“Well, hello, sweetheart,” he says with a chuckle when he breaks the kiss.

“I  _ missed  _ you,” she informs him. 

“I’m here now,” he murmurs, gently caressing her cheek with his hand before pulling her in for another kiss. She kisses him back with all the pent-up longing she’s harbored over this past week, letting her tongue push against his. Before she even realizes she’s doing it, she starts rocking her hips, and she feels him getting hard underneath her.

“ _ Rey _ ,” he says hoarsely.

“Yes, baby?”

“I want you,” he murmurs with an intense longing in his voice. 

“I want you, too. Here — ” she gets off of him and lies on her back, and quickly takes Ben’s hand and guides it under her robe and up between her legs.

He shudders at the wetness he finds there. 

“You always make me so,  _ so _ wet, Ben,” she tells him. “Touch me,” she adds. “Please, Ben, I need you to touch me.”

A tiny moan escapes from her lips as his finger runs between her folds. He leans down until his lips meet hers as he slowly lets his finger slide inside of her, making her moan loudly into his mouth.

“I know it’s hard, but we have to be quiet, sweetheart,” he whispers.

“I know, I’m sorry, that just —  _ ah —  _ feels s-so good, Ben.”

He pulls his finger out of her and she whimpers at the loss. “What are you doing? Don’t st— ” She stops short as she watches him slide his finger in his mouth, eyes rolling back into his head as he tastes her.

“God, you always taste incredible. I need to go down on you, Rey,” he says urgently.

She slowly unties her robe and opens the front, spreading her legs for him.

“Fuck,” he breathes out, eyes scanning across her naked frame with an intensity that makes her blush. “You’re so beautiful, Rey.” He leans down and starts kissing down her neck, one shaking hand making its way up to touch her breast. “I — ah — sorry, is that okay?”

  
  


“Yes, Ben, you can touch me anywhere you want,” she assures him.

A crooked smile tugs at his lips, and then he sets to work kneading her breast in his hand. She moans softly as she arches her back. He trails kisses down lower, across her chest and then — 

And then, blissfully, he takes one of her breasts in his mouth, closing his lips around her nipple and sucking and  _ oh,  _ it feels nothing short of exquisite.

“ _ Ben _ ,” she groans. “Ben, that feels so good, you’re so good at that.”

He takes her breast out of her mouth. “Really? Because I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“I told you,” she says softly, reaching out to touch his cheek, “everything you do to me feels good because it’s  _ you.” _

That gives him the encouragement he needs to perform the same ministrations on her other breast, sucking at it and swirling his tongue around her pebbled nipple. 

“Yes,  _ yes,  _ just like that, baby,” she croons. 

He takes his mouth off her breast and trails kisses down across her belly before kissing the inside of each of her thighs and hesitantly hooking her legs over his shoulders to give himself a better angle.

Rey draws in a sharp breath as she watches him lower his head down between her legs. He holds her gaze as he licks between her labia, and she has to cover her mouth to keep herself from crying out. And then all at once he buries his face in her, licking and sucking with abandon, like he’s been needing this, like he’s starved for her.

It’s somehow even better than the first time, and each sinful flick of his tongue brings her closer and closer to a much-needed release. She rocks her hips against his face in a desperate bid for more,  _ more, _ and she groans as she feels his nose rubbing against her clit. 

“Will you —  _ oh —  _ will you put your finger inside of me again?”

He obeys dutifully, sliding his finger inside of her as he closes his lips around her clit and sucks at it.

“ _ Ben _ , oh fuck,  _ yes _ , just like that I’m —  _ oh _ — I’m— ”

Her orgasm washes over her all at once, making her entire body shudder and tremble, her vision briefly whiting out. 

“ _ Bennnn _ ,” she whimpers. 

“Was that good, sweetheart?” 

  
She smiles. Her sweet Ben Solo, always so eager to please.

“Yes, baby, you did so good, you always make me feel  _ so good _ .” 

A smile tugs at his lips, and then he sits up so he can kiss her. She kisses back hungrily, letting her hand wander down into his plaid flannel pajama bottoms. She hesitates briefly. “Is this okay?” she asks.

“Yes, of course, you can touch me anywhere, sweetheart.”

She lets her hand dip into his boxers, wrapping it around his cock and stroking it.

Ben groans. “Rey,  _ fuck _ . Feels so good when you touch me.”

“Ben,” she whispers, “I — I want you inside of me.”

He draws in a sharp breath. “I — are you sure, Rey?”

She nods. “No one’s ever been inside of me before and I want you to be the first.”

He kisses her fiercely at that, and she kisses him back, her hand working his cock inside his boxers.

“God, it feels so fucking good when you touch me, Rey,” he tells her, “but I bet it’s gonna feel even better to be inside of you.”

She whimpers. “ _ Ben _ . I need you.  _ Please _ .”

“Let me just, um — let me take my clothes off,” he murmurs. She nods and pulls her hand out of his boxers and then watches, awe-struck as he sits back on his haunches and pulls his gray t-shirt over his head, revealing the broad, muscular expanse of his chest. 

She takes the opportunity to sit up and take her robe off the rest of the way, shrugging it off and letting it fall to the floor. He’s briefly distracted from taking off his pajama pants, pausing for a moment just to take in the sight of her and gazing at her with an intensity that makes her blush. After a moment he pulls off his pajama pants and boxers the rest of the way, leaving him finally fully naked, his cock hard and red and leaking a bead of precum.

He pulls a condom seemingly out of thin air, opens the wrapper and rolls it on. Her heartbeat drums in her ears as her nerves grow. 

He must sense her unease, because he murmurs, “Are you sure you want to do this, sweetheart?”

“I’m sure. I want this with you, Ben. I — I love you,” she breathes out.

There’s a beat that feels like an eternity and then, finally, he replies, “I love you, too Rey. So much. You have no idea.”

But the thing is, she  _ does  _ have an idea because she can  _ feel  _ just how much he loves her, the strength of his feelings humming and singing around her through their connection. He loves her  _ so much.  _ And it  _ scares  _ her, the strength of his feelings for her, the strength of  _ her  _ feelings for  _ him,  _ but when he’s looking at her like  _ that,  _ like she’s his entire world, like he would do anything for her, she feels safe. She feels  _ cherished _ .

She’s never really felt like that before. And she realizes tears are pooling in her eyes. 

He must know what she’s feeling, too, because he murmurs, “Rey. You deserve this. You deserve to be loved. You deserve the world.”

She blinks and tears fall down her cheeks. “I love you so much.”

He tenderly kisses away her tears. “I love you too,” he murmurs. A beat. “Are you ready?”

She nods. “Please, Ben,” she whispers.

“I’ll be gentle, I promise,” he murmurs, and she knows he will. She can’t imagine this with anyone else. He draws in a shaky breath as he takes his cock in his hand and guides it toward her entrance. She feels him gently nudge inside of her and then slowly,  _ oh so slowly _ start to ease into her more, inch by inch.

He’s about halfway inside of her when he asks, “Are you okay? Does that hurt? Can you take more?”

The stretch is slightly uncomfortable, but nothing too terrible. She nods and feels him press into her the rest of the way, bringing with it a sharp and sudden jab of discomfort. 

“ _ Ah _ ,” she bleats out.

Ben freezes. “Are you okay, sweetheart? Did I hurt you?”

“No, it just, um — it’s a little uncomfortable, but it’s okay though. I don’t want you to stop.”

The slight pain and pressure slowly ebbs away and gives way to a more pleasurable sensation. Not to mention the connection between them is absolutely  _ singing,  _ buzzing all around them as if celebrating this newfound level of intimacy between them. 

He gingerly leans down and kisses her forehead, both her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her jaw, and finally, her lips.

  
“I love you,” he whispers.

  
“I love you, too. You can, um...you can move now.”

He nods, draws in another shaky breath. And then slowly pulls back and very gently presses into her again. Rey moans softly.

“Does that feel good, sweetheart?”

  
She nods. “You feel — you feel so perfect inside of me, Ben. Does it feel good for you too?”

“You have no idea,” he murmurs. “You’re a dream, Rey.”

And she can  _ feel it,  _ how perfect this feels for him, how perfect everything in this moment is, like it was somehow meant to be, like maybe he really  _ is  _ her soulmate. 

With each gentle thrust he slowly stretches her out more, and her breath comes in hitched little gasps, tiny whimpers, and soft moans.

“You’re so beautiful and you’re taking me so well, sweetheart,” he murmurs against her ear. “And you feel fucking incredible. So—so tight and wet—”

She whimpers. “I need — can you — can you go faster, Ben? Please?” she asks, because with each gentle push and pull of his cock it feels better and better and she needs  _ more.  _

He does as she asks, rocking his hips faster as he presses into her a little harder. “Like that, sweetheart?”

“Yes, just like that, baby,  _ oh my God _ .” She pulls him closer to her, wrapping her legs around him, making him moan deeply. She runs her hands up and down his back, savoring each caress of his warm skin. It feels so perfect, so right, like he was made to be inside of her, like his cock was meant for her cunt.

It’s dizzying and disorienting, the feeling of him pressing inside of her again and again, filling her up so perfectly and hitting all the right places deep inside of her.

She feels him take one of her breasts in his mouth again, sucking at it as he kneads the other in his hand.

“I’ve thought about this so much,” he murmurs against her skin, “playing with your tits, I mean. They’re so perfect.”

“You don’t think they’re too small?” Rey asks shyly. 

“Not at all. I love how they fit perfectly in my mouth. They’re beautiful. Just like you,” he assures her, his lips meeting hers in a gentle kiss that quickly becomes more frenzied as Ben starts to thrust into her faster and harder.

“Sweetheart, are you close? I need—I need to come.” She nods and guides his hand down to her clit, and he starts swirling his thumb on it. “Like that? Is that what you need?”

“Yes, baby, I —  _ fuck _ , that feels amazing.” She needs him to go faster,  _ harder _ , but she doesn’t even have to say it out loud — he already knows what she needs. His cock slams into her cunt and she has to cover her mouth to keep herself from crying out. “ _ Bennnnn _ .”

She’s impossibly close now, and his eyes are locked on hers with intense reverence, like she’s his entire universe. 

“I love you,” he tells her.

“I love you,” she manages to pant out, and as soon as the words have left her lips her orgasm crashes over her in a powerful wave of pleasure that wracks over her entire body. 

She feels weightless and dizzy as he continues to press into her through her aftershocks, her whole body trembling as she gasps for breath and her heartbeat blazes in her ears.

She’s only vaguely aware of him moaning  _ Rey  _ like it’s a prayer, like it’s the sweetest utterance his lips have ever known as he comes. 

He lingers for a moment on top of her as they both catch their breath, and he presses a gentle kiss to her jaw before mumbling, “I’ll be right back.”

He pulls out of her and disappears for a moment, presumably to take care of the condom, but he’s back in bed moments later, gathering her into his arms.

She buries her face against his chest and sighs contentedly as he runs his hand up and down her back in soothing circles.

“That was—”

“I know,” he murmurs, kissing the top of her head.

“I love you, Ben,” Rey says softly.

“I love you, too.”

She yawns and cuddles up closer against him. “Good night, baby.”

“Sweet dreams, my starshine."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much for reading this story. Your kudos and comments mean so much to me, it's impossible for me to adequately express my gratitude. This story is very, very close to my heart, and it means the world to me that you guys liked it, too. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Until next time <3

* * *

**THREE MONTHS LATER**

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* * *

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**A FEW WEEKS LATER**

* * *

* * *

* * *

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**ONE MONTH LATER**

* * *

Once Rey has gotten her lunch tray, she makes her way to the table she always sits at with Ben, Kaydel, Finn, and Rose, but sees that Ben is missing. 

“Ben wants you to meet him outside,” Kaydel tells her. “He said to go to your special spot? Whatever that means.”  
  


Rey knows right away what Kaydel is referring to: the grassy hill by the lake, the one they sat on when he gave her the first of many poems he’s written about her. Once the weather warmed up, it quickly became their favorite date spot. 

* * *

She makes her way to the hill, and sees Ben is there sitting on a blanket — surrounded by dozens of sunflowers.

“Hi, sweetheart,” he says softly.

“Hi, Ben,” she echoes. “What’s all this?”

“I, um...I sort of wanted to ask you something?” He fishes a note out of the back of his pocket. “Here,” he murmurs, handing it to her.

She sits down and unfolds the piece of paper.

Rey smiles one of those radiant, heart-stopping grins of hers. “Benjamin Solo, of _course_ I’ll go to the prom with you.”

  
She leans over and gently kisses his lips, and then crawls over onto his lap. She brushes his hair out of his face. “This was the most perfect promposal I could’ve asked for,” she murmurs. “You spoil me. How did you know sunflowers are my favorite?”

“Kaydel told me. I got you chocolate too, by the way,” he says, gesturing to a heart shaped box sitting beside him.

“What did I ever do to deserve such a sweet boyfriend?” she says softly, gently kissing him again. 

“You deserve the world, starshine.”

“I love you so much, Ben,” she whispers.

“I love you, too.”

She presses her lips to his again, and they fall back against the blanket kissing, and Ben wonders how it’s possible that he could be this lucky and this happy.

* * *

**PROM NIGHT**

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**THE END  
**

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hi to me on [ Twitter!](http://twitter.com/darthswift13)
> 
> Since I've gotten some comments about the ending I just wanted to say that I’m so glad you guys liked this story and want more from that universe, but having them go to prom together really felt like the natural ending to me, so there won’t be anymore after that. I figured it goes without saying that they stay together because of their soulmate connection.


End file.
